Ultra-processed food leads to higher risk of early death, study shows

A study published in The British Medical Journal Wednesday measuring the health of thousands of Americans over 30 years found that ultra-processed food is linked with dying early.

The study defines ultra-processed food as including ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat products, packaged baked goods and snacks, sugary cereal and carbonated drinks. These products and others contain artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and other additives, The BMJ said in a release.

Researchers used data from 74,563 women nurses and 39,501 men in the health profession.

None of the participants in the study had cancer, heart disease or diabetes at the outset, The BMJ said.

People in the highest quarter of the studied population, who had seven servings of ultra-processed foods per day on average, had a 4% higher risk of death and an 8% higher risk of death by neurodegenerative disease than people in the lowest quarter, who had three servings of ultra-processed food per day on average.

The ultra-processed food associated with the most risk were ready-to-eat meat, poultry and seafood products, followed by drinks containing sugar or artificial sweeteners, dairy desserts and breakfast food.